Dream of Losses
by wolf-of-the-moonlight
Summary: One morning, a little boy doesn't wake to his friend's calling. In his dream, he misses the meaning until it is too late.


This is a sad story. I thought I would tell you straight up for a change. Anyway, for once, I did a pairing of Mariah and Rei. Usually I'm against it but Kai just didn't work into the story very well. This one has been sitting on my brick for ages and I finally finished it.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Beyblades. Over and over we say it and yet we continue to write it. Good for us!

* * *

Dreaming of a new day, his black hair wrapped around his small frame, encasing him in a cocoon of hair. The birds sang their songs and the dogs down the street barked at invisible cows crossing the street. A small grey cat sat on the windowsill looking at the boy in his bed.

"Please don't…no…don't hurt her she doesn't know anything…DON'T TOUCH HER!" he started to yell at the ceiling. Light footsteps padded quickly down the hallway to the dreaming child.

"Rei…REI WAKE UP!" a little girl yelled at the boy. He just kept dreaming, not waking up. This was not the best day for this to happen. Jumping on the bed, she pounded on his chest, "Rei please wake up. Please wake up."

He rolled over, eyes still shut. He hadn't responded to her beatings and was becoming sweatier. Black hair stuck to his childish face and was going into his mouth. As he breathed in, the hair was being taken in as well.

Panicking, the little girl pulled on the hair, which wrapped around her hand. Pulling on it, it got stuck. Pulling harder on it, I came free and she rolled off the bed and hit her head on the wall knocking her out.

* * *

Screaming out, he ran at the shadow. It had his friend and was taking off with her. He was only six years old. His friend was the same age and he could hear her screams. On he ran, always toward her piercing screams. Somehow he never got any closer to her.

"Mari, where are you? MARI I CAN'T SEE YOU!" he shouted. His eyes were filling with tears and his feet were getting sore from the endless running. Beside him ran a small blue cat that stayed by him.

Picking up the cat again, he felt it go to his shoulder and urge him on. In a silent way, he understood this creature. It wanted him to go forward and help his friend.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed again. It was getting closer again. Onwards, the boy ran toward his friend. The cat leapt off his shoulder to run at his side with ease. Finding some extra energy, he sped up and ran on. Finally he found his friend, but what was being done to her scared him.

"Don't touch her! She doesn't know anything!" he yelled. Somehow he got the person to stop.

* * *

Shaking her head, she found that the little boy had stopped violently turning. Creeping back toward him, she wrapped his hair up with the ribbon that was on the floor. Tears were falling down from her soft gold eyes.

Wiping them away, she sat on his bed. Looking at him, she felt useless. These dreams occurred when something had been troubling him. Holding onto his shoulders, she pulled him up. Resting his head in her lap she looked down on him.

"Reirei you have to wake up. Mummy's sick, she needs you now. Lee is doing all he can. Reirei we need you," she sobbed. She hugged him tightly before realising that all she could do was stroke his soft black hair.

* * *

"So do you know about it then child? Because one of you has to know," the voice was deep and very frightening. The boy just stood there as straight as possible. His whole body trembled violently. He couldn't stop it.

"I don't know? I was told many things. One such thing is that my mummy and daddy were killed when I was very little. Why were they killed mister?" he crumpled on the ground, tears had welled up in his eyes again. He was so little and there was so much to comprehend.

"How should I know kid? I'm not a mind reader and I don't know everything. But I do know that one is for certain, your other friend and this brat's brother is still alive right? So where is he?" the voice was getting louder. The shadow moved closer to where the boy was standing.

"He is but I don't know where he is! He was scared and left us with Mari's sick mummy. Only he knew how to deal with everything! Why did he leave us Mari, why?" he sobbed. His body had gone into the foetal position, slowly rocking backwards and forwards.

"Perhaps her screams will help you remember child. All I do is pull on her hair or poke her with this red-hot poker and she screams. It may just help jog your memory for me," how evil this shadow was.

Mari's scream was chilling. It was echoing through the cave network, making the boy hear it over and over again.

"Stop it please, don't hurt her. No one knows where he is. I just want him back and so does Mari. Please don't hurt her!" He was a wreck now. Tears streamed down his face and his friend was crying openly. Her heavy breathing reached his ears with the sound of her sobs. Both cried.

* * *

"Reirei, please wake up. I need you. Lee is not talking anymore. He can't stand being near her anymore," her tears dropped onto Rei's little face. They hit his eyelids and shone in the brightly-lit room. The grey cat had now moved to sit beside the girl.

Pawing at the boy's hair, the cat meowed softly. Her grey tail flicked from side to side in irritation. Scratching the side of the kitty's neck, she meowed and curled around. The girl smiled softly at the cat's antics. Then it swiped at her.

"Don't kitty, Reirei needs his sleep. But sleep time is over and he won't wake up. What can I do kitty?" the girl looked to the cat for some kind of help. It just looked at her and leapt onto the boy's chest and curled up.

"Stupid kitty was no help," she complained sullenly as she continued to stroke the boy's hair.

Then, the boy's eyes fluttered. Golden slits could be seen under his lashes. Rei looked straight up at the girl. Slowly opening them more, he realised whom it was that held him so close.

"Mari, it's you. I had a nightmare again. That one with the talking shadow," his voice was so soft that it was barely audible. Smiling down on him, Mari held him closer.

"Mummy not waking up this morning Reirei. Lee gone missing too, where is he?" Mari asked her friend. Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open. His eyes darted to look directly into her face.

"Lee should be here Mari. We should find him pinkie," getting up Rei and Mari left the small room and went down to the kitchen where Lee was normally found. Peering in, the room was empty and nothing was on the table or cooking on the stove.

"He didn't cook this morning Rei, what could he be doing? Mummy needs him now," Mari was holding onto her friend tightly not wanting to let go. Nodding, Rei grabbed her hand and ran down to Lee's room. His bed was unmade and there was no sign of him. Starting to get scared, the pair ran to the next room.

In the bathroom, Lee was in the bath. Water was up to his neck and he looked peaceful. Walking over to him, Rei poked him gently. The older boy didn't respond. Repeating the action, the response was also repeated. Shaking him, Lee still didn't move.

"Come on Lee this isn't funny anymore. Lee wake up," Rei said as he shook the boy harder.

"Brother wake up, mummy needs you. I need you, as does Reirei. Lee, wake up," Mari was now sobbing again. She gripped Rei tighter not wanting to let go now. Still the boy didn't respond.

"I've seen Lee do this many times, he showed me how to do it too," Mari said as she moved her hand to his neck. As she checked for a pulse, her search turned out nothing. She checked her own to see if she could find it then redid his.

"Mari, is he alright?" Rei looked at his friend's face. It had gone a ghostly white and tears were forming in rivers.

"He's dead Reirei, he's dead!" Mari sobbed. Rei collapsed on the floor and cried. Mari joined him. There, the two six-year-olds cried together for 30 minutes. They clung to each other as though they would melt together to form one body.

Getting up, Rei pulled up Mari and held her close, "We better check your mummy to see if she is alright now." She nodded. Her brother had looked after them for months. He was only 10, but knew how to make basic stuff for them to eat, clean and get them to school.

Mari started to run down the hallway; Rei was in toe holding onto her hand. They had now not let each other go since leaving Rei's room. Turning the corner into Mari's mother's room, Mari froze. Walking up to her slowly, she finally found the terror that her brother had found. Her lifeless body didn't move, speak or even truly eat. It just lay there unmoving, as if dead.

"Mummy, Mari's here now. Lee can't come cause he's asleep. He should be coming later though," her voice was very quiet, "mummy are you awake?" She walked over to her mother's side and held her hand. It was cold and clammy.

"Reirei's here mummy. He came to say hello. Please be polite mummy," Mari was starting to whisper even softer. The grip she had on her mother was getting tighter, "MUMMY WAKE UP! LEE CAN'T HELP ME ANYMORE!" The sudden shouting was very loud and made Rei cower behind his friend.

Still no response from her mother.

Rei thought back to his dream that he had. The mysterious void had asked for Lee but not Mariah or himself, "Mari, this is like my dream."

Turning around to face him she spoke, "What do you mean Reirei? How is it like your dream?"

"In my dream you are screaming. As I run to help you, a cat follows me," looking around, he noticed the grey had followed them, "when I get to you, the shadows they speak."

"What do they say Rei?" Mari was crouching now. Her body was trembling and she was cold.

"They ask for Lee. They ask where is he. I just answer that he disappeared. I can hear you screaming in the background. On and on they ask where is he. But I can't answer. In the end, we are both crying because of something. I don't want to leave you Mari!" Rei said as he burst into tears.

They held each other close and didn't let go.

_Fifteen years later_

"Hey Mari!" a handsome guy called out. His hair was in a white wrap and his arms were full of university books. A white tabard was being worn with black pants and black shoes. He ran to meet his girlfriend.

"Hey there Rei. How are you today," Mari asked as she held him round the waist.

Shrugging he replied, "Not so bad. Had that dream again last night though." Mari's face went white. She remembered that day and dream very well.

"Oh, is it still a shadow that talks to you?" Mari knew the nightmare haunted her boyfriend every now and then. He didn't tell her about it though, because of the bad memories that it brought with it.

"No, it's your mother that calls to me now. She asks where Lee is; only now I reply that he is dead. Her face twists in pain and agony. In the dream we're still six. That cat still follows me and she keeps asking. Mari, it's been 15 years since that day. It's still as clear as a bell though," Rei had gone quiet.

Mari grabbed him around the middle and hugged him tightly. Gently, he embraced her back. He could feel her trembling and her tears were soaking into his shirt. Gently rubbing her back, she began to breathe normally again.

"Perhaps, it will take more time to heal the old wounds. I just hope that your mother can now find peace Mari. Lee did, he doesn't haunt me anymore. Not anymore," he whispered.

"Don't let me go Rei, don't let me go," she whispered back to him. Resting his head on hers, he held her.

* * *

Please tell me what you thought!


End file.
